UNCC launches magazine to shine spotlight on arts sector
The Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC) in partnership with the French Embassy Kampala through the FSPI culture project has launched an arts and culture magazine.
According to a press statement from UNCCThe objective of the magazine is to provide a platform and a voice for the Arts and Culture sector as well as ignite positive debates.
"UNCC Arts and Culture magazine will come out once a month to shine a spotlight on the Arts and Cultural Sector in Uganda. It will be a deliberate and conscious voice of the sector to policy makers and development partners; a mirror for the artistes and cultural practitioners through which they can see themselves without bias; and an open accountability/report to partners and consumers of Uganda art and cultural goods and services. Additionally, this magazine will give regular updates about upcoming events and projects, the opportunities (capacity building, collaborations, funding, networking, etc.) available for Ugandan artistes and cultural practitioners locally, regionally and globally," the statement noted.
UNCC noted that the arts and culture sector also faces a number of challenges hindering its smooth operation. These challenges include absence of an authoritative voice and common platform for the sector players to voice their concerns, insufficient media coverage, and shortage of information on the various opportunities available for the various sector players among others. It is evident that there was an urgent need to address the above challenges if the sector is to emerge out of the shadows.
The magazine will be used as a platform that will shine a spotlight onto the arts and cultural sector.
"It will be the voice for the sector to the policy makers as well as a source of valuable information for the artistes and cultural practitioners. The arts and cultural sector like any other sectors has been greatly affected by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the nature of its consumption where in most cases it attracts crowds, the sector has remained totally closed for almost 2 years and yet it remains unclear when exactly it may be opened and there is no strong and authoritative voice to lobby and advocate for the sector," the statement signed by the centre's public relations officer, Robert Musiitwa, noted.
